Do 68 Molecules Hold the Key to Understanding Disease? 4 September 2008

Do 68 molecules hold the key to understanding disease? 4 September 2008

and eight kinds of lipids (which compose cell membranes) along with the more well-known 20 amino acids that are used to make proteins and the eight nucleosides that compose the nucleic acids, DNA and RNA.

"These 68 building blocks provide the structural basis for the molecular choreography that constitutes the entire life of a cell," said Marth. "And two of the four cellular components are produced by these molecular building blocks in processes that cannot be encoded by the genes. These cellular components – the glycans and lipids – may Illustration of basic molecular building blocks. Credit: now hold the keys to uncovering the origins of UCSD School of Medicine many grievous diseases that continue to evade understanding."

Currently, the vast majority of medical research Why is it that the origins of many serious diseases looks to the human genome and proteome for remain a mystery? In considering that question, a answers, but those answers remain elusive, and scientist at the University of California, San Diego perhaps for good reason. School of Medicine has come up with a unified molecular view of the indivisible unit of life, the cell, "We have now found instances where the which may provide an answer. pathogenesis of widespread and chronic diseases can be attributed to a change in the glycome, for Reviewing findings from multiple disciplines, example, in the absence of definable changes in Jamey Marth, Ph.D., UC San Diego Professor of the genome or proteome," Marth said, adding that, Cellular and Molecular Medicine and Investigator as biomedical researchers, "we need to begin to with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, realized cultivate the integration of disciplines in a holistic that only 68 molecular building blocks are used to and rigorous way in order to perceive and most construct these four fundamental components of effectively manipulate the biological mechanisms of cells: the nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), proteins, health and disease." glycans and lipids. His work, which illustrates the primary composition of all cells, is published in the "What is important is that no one has composed it September issue of Nature Cell Biology. and laid it out so clearly before," said Ajit Varki, M.D., Distinguished Professor of Medicine and Like the periodic table of elements, first published Cellular and Molecular Medicine and founder and in 1869 by Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev, is to co-director of the Glycobiology Research and chemistry, Marth's visual metaphor offers a new Training Center at UC San Diego School of framework for biologists. Medicine, and chief editor of the major textbook in the field, The Essentials of Glycobiology. This new illustration defines the basic molecular "Glycobiology, for example, is a relatively new field building blocks of life and currently includes 32 of study in which researchers at UC San Diego glycans (sugar linkages found throughout the cell) have much expertise, and Dr. Marth's work further

1 / 2

illustrates the importance of these glycan molecules."

Marth believes that biology should become more integrative both in academic and research settings. "I'm one who believes that we don't need to sacrifice breadth of knowledge in order to acquire depth of understanding."

Source: University of California - San Diego

APA citation: Do 68 molecules hold the key to understanding disease? (2008, September 4) retrieved 28 September 2021 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2008-09-molecules-key-disease.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

2 / 2